THE PAPERBOY

What a messed up and muddled and confusing movie. As fantastic as the performances were, it did not make up for the lack of a good narrative.

John Cusack portrayed a monster of a man; no morals, always sweating and open-mouthed, gross and crude and cruel. It is such a non-Cusack type role that he was mesmerizing and he did it so well. He is on Death Row accused of murdering a sheriff and he has become engaged to Charlotte who is a perpetually horny, white trash talking, sleazy and sexy and dumb  lady played  by Nicole Kidman. Another acting job which was unbelievably superb and a role that i would never have imagined Kidman to be even OK in; she shined as Charlotte.

So into this situation comes a reporter from the Miami Times to find evidence that John Cusack (Hillary in the movie) is not guilty. Why he would want to do that - its never made clear. The reporter is excellently played by Matthew McConaughey. His brother  Jack who lives in the small Florida town is acted by Zac Efron who is a dull- at best- actor.  Naturally, Jack gets a big crush on Charlotte.

The scenes become more and more bizarre with hog-tying and male rape and blow jobs in the prison visiting room and romping through alligator swamps looking for witnesses to the killing of the sheriff and additional murders and throat slicings and inane scenes between Jack and the black maid who works at his house. This role is acted by Macy Gray and her annoying voice. Plus she narrates the film and i find this technique highly distracting.

This movie was a 2 according to Bill and I gave it a 3; only because Cusack and Kidman were so fantastic.